Today in Soap Opera History (October 18)

1988: GH's Julian shared a hotel room with college sweetheart
Cheryl. 1999: Shawn & Belle met on Days. 2002: OLTL's
Natalie & Jessica found out they were both Viki's daughters.
2002: GL's Alexandra held an Ex-Wives Club board meeting.

"History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again."
― Maya Angelou

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1968: On The Doctors, Maggie Powers (Lydia Bruce) made up an excuse get Althea Davis (Elizabeth Hubbard) over to her place on Friday night for a surprise bridal shower.

1973: On Another World, Iris Carrington (Beverlee McKinsey) was unhappy to learn Eliot (James Douglas) had enrolled Dennis (Mike Hammett) in Bay City Junior High, but pleased after Louise (Anne Meacham) told her the Eliot admitted he loved Iris on the latest secret tapes they had recorded.

1993: On Days of our Lives, Carly (Crystal Chappell), Lawrence (Michael Sabatino) and Nicholas (Erik von Detten) left town to begin a new life in France. Chappell returned to Days 16 years later, in 2009, for another two year run as Carly. Sabatino briefly returned as well.

1999: On Days of our Lives, Shawn (Jason Cook) and Belle (Kirsten Storms) met for the first time as teenagers.

2002: On One Life to Live, Bo (Robert S. Woods) revealed the DNA test results that Jessica and Natalie were both Viki’s daughters. Kathy Brier debuted as Marcie Walsh in this episode.

2002: On The Bold and the Beautiful, Mary Warwick, also called Erica Lovejoy (Courtney Draper), went to confront her mother, Sheila Carter (Kimberlin Brown), in prison.

Thanks to FoxCrane for sending in the item above.

2002: On Guiding Light, Alexandra (Joan Collins) held "the first-ever meeting of the ex-wives club" board meeting, featuring the women who had been married to Phillip (Grant Aleksander), in order to take over Spaulding Enterprises.

2004: On Guiding Light, after briefly being interrupted by Dinah, Jonathan (Tom Pelphrey) began his seduction of Tammy.